Weary Blue Devils Tangle With Pesky Mountaineers Today

March 18, 1989|By DAVID TEEL Staff Writer

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Duke's basketball team is weary. West Virginia's man-to-man defense is withering. And that intriguing combination headlines the second round of the NCAA East Regional today at Greensboro Coliseum.

Duke, which lost in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final Sunday, will be playing its fifth game in 10 days. The Blue Devils' first-round NCAA victory over South Carolina State did not end until almost midnight Thursday.

West Virginia, conversely, had nine days off after losing to Penn State in the Atlantic 10 Conference semifinals. The Mountaineers defeated Tennessee in a first-round game that ended about 9:30 Thursday night.

"We just need some sleep," Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Krzyzewski, annoyed that television dictated his team's starting times, said "sometimes you just have to tell television no."

Krzyzewski is most concerned about point guard Quin Snyder's stamina. Late in Thursday's game Snyder developed a migraine headache and was taken to the locker room, where he began vomiting. Snyder was excused from NCAA drug testing, and Duke trainers are coordinating his treatment with NCAA officials. The NCAA dismisses positive tests for some banned substances, if documentation is provided.

Snyder, Duke's only true point guard, has a history of migraines. His first this season occurred in practice the day before Duke lost at Clemson in the final week of the regular season.

"He's much better today," Krzyzewski said. "But he was really sick."

Duke will need solid guard play against West Virginia. Wing guard Herbie Brooks leads four double-figure Mountaineer scorers, and point guard Steve Berger should have been Atlantic 10 Player of the Year instead of Temple's Mark Macon, according to WVU Coach Gale Catlett.

Berger and teammates can take more defensive chances this year because of 6-foot-10 center Ray Foster, a transfer from Cleveland State.

But Duke has Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner and Alaa Abdelnaby, all as big as Foster.

"A lot of teams are quicker than we are," Duke guard Phil Henderson said. "We have to use our size inside."

Quickness also is the focus of the Minnesota-Siena matchup. The Saints, particularly point guard Marc Brown and small forward Jeff Robinson, were much quicker than Stanford. Brown and Robinson combined for 52 points against the Cardinal.

"The shock of winning is beginning to wear off," Siena Coach Mike Deane said. "The best matchups for us were with Jeff and Marc, but with Minnesota that luxury does not exist. They have athletes at those positions."

Deane was speaking of guard Melvin Newbern and forward Willie Burton, a 6-7 junior who can score inside and out. Burton had 29 points in the Gophers' first-round victory over Kansas State.

"I recruited (Burton) when I was an assistant at Michigan State," Deane said. "We don't have a guy who can match up with him. Man-to-man defense will be a last resort."